The walking dead: Who we are

Ties

Three days have passed since we said our goodbyes to Clementine and that old rusty town. We were headed to the next stop on our route to get the little girl from that Richard fella; still small ways north from where we were. It would probably be another day before we got there and a hell of a lot longer to get back to Brent and all his Ven-Cross buddies.

"How much longer until the station?" Shane asked curiously as we walked the semi-destroyed road that continued on for miles and miles. "Um... probably not too far. It's an old gas station, so, shouldn't be too far off the road." I answered looking down at the small map I was given at the start of the journey. Shane nodded and placed his hands into his jean pockets. I folded the map up and slid it into the small opening inside my bag and continued onward to nowhere. "I wonder what Bret's daughter looks like." Shane looked to the sky with a curious look on his face "when did he even have time to have a kid?" He continued curiously. I shook my head and smiled at him, he was still young and had much to learn and do. I guess I was the same in a way, but I decided to leave it behind. My only goal was to raise the boy who's mother I promised I would.

"There." I said, "that should be it." I pointed up the hill at a fortified gas station. It wasn't one of the little stops and go ones, this was a truck stop. So, it had plenty of room to house and keep people and supply. I was cautious until I noticed the emblem dangling off of a black flag. "Ven-Cross alright," I mumbled to my self as I took my younger brother's hand and pulled him to my side hoping they wouldn't shoot. "Halt!" Shouted an armored young man standing on top of the station cloister holding a Beretta m9 in his outstretched hand aiming at us. I stopped in my tracks, this was obviously an Elite, otherwise known as Hell Walkers. These guys are trained to kill without hesitation, posted ones weren't as bad as the roaming ones. R-Elites are the kind of people who shoot first and ask questions later, soulless killers are what they were. "State name and business." The boy shouted down waiving his pistol up a bit. "Hugo. Sent by Brent of Ven-Cross. I just want a shelter for the night." I said as staccato and demanding as I could, just like how people report in or out in the military (or at least how the old army jrotc kids at the high school taught us.) the boy nodded and looked down to the ground beside him and motioned his empty hand to someone. The gate opened "pass" the boy said and we began walking.

The gate closed behind us and an older man came walking up "late." He said, "you were due here days ago." He said scowling down at me. I smiled "got caught up with herds." I lied. The man sighed "I'm James. The boy on the roof is IJ9, otherwise known as HotShot." He said pointing up to the roof. I figured he was a newer generation of Elites since he didn't have a name, so he was probably ten or eleven years old. "And that fella over there is Sawyer. Meanest damn kid you'll meet."He said jokingly (I hoped) pointing over to an older boy around nineteen or twenty, he was a generation one. Kids that were alive and knowledgeable when all this happened. The difference between the one on the roof and the one behind us was the little kid would kill himself, a close friend or relative, and would do anything you wished without a second thought. HotShot was basically dead. He had no morals, reasons, or cares. He was a Hell Walker, hence the name.

I nodded to the man and gave him my thanks. We were then escorted to a room inside the building. It was a cell basically, built of plywood so there were rooms instead of empty space. I tossed my bag down on the dusty cot and walked over to the small window and looked out. I saw a herd in the distance, it would pass through in about two tor three hours. "Well," I said, looking over at my younger brother who was starting to get comfortable on the rickety old cot "not too much further, then I guess we can go back to Richmond." I sighed as I remembered what Brent might do to me for taking his nephew, Shane, with me. I didn't trust Brent since that day the hoard overtook our community... neither of us was the same after that day, Brent more so than me.